Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Beetles

Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when her Department first identified the presence of the Colorado beetle in the UK.

Mark Spencer: The UK first identified the presence of the Colorado beetle in the UK in 1877.

Agriculture: Sustainable Development

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to Government grants statistics 2020 to 2021, published on 31 March 2022, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of the Sustainable Land and Soils Grant.

Mark Spencer: Grant Programme names in the Government grants register do not always directly correspond with the delivery scheme where the funding is routed. In this case, the reference to Sustainable Land and Soils Grant funded the Trees for Schools scheme, which the Woodland Trust ran from 2016-2020. The scheme was evaluated independently at the time. It delivered over 450,000 trees to primary schools across England and is estimated to have helped connect over 300,000 children with nature.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: National Security

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether their Department has a Chief Risk Officer responsible for national security risks relating to the work of their Department.

Mark Spencer: The Government identifies and assesses risks to the nation through the internal, classified National Security Risk Assessment, and the external National Risk Register, the most recent version of which was published in August. As set out in the UK Government Resilience Framework, each risk in the National Security Risk Assessment is owned and managed within Lead Government Departments. Where those risks, including national security risks, relate to the work of Defra, then they are managed through the department’s risk management processes. For example, in Defra, risk is reported quarterly to the Executive Committee and each of our principal risks is the subject of a rolling programme of deep dives. Our management of risks is in line with the principles outlined in the Government’s Orange Book.

Ministry of Justice

Prisoner Escapes

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have escaped from (a) category A and (b) category B prisons since 2010; and which prisons did those escapes occur from.

Shabana Mahmood: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many prisoners have absconded from (a) category A and (b) category B prisons since 2010; and which prisons did those incidents occur.

Damian Hinds: Time series for escape and abscond data are published at: HMPPS Annual Digest, April 2021 to March 2022 - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). In the 13 years from April 2010 to March 2023 there were no escapes from category A prisons and 8 escapes from category B prisons. The prisons were HMP Pentonville, HMP Wandsworth, HMP Dovegate, HMP Peterborough and HMP Bedford. There have been no absconds from a category A or category B prison in this period.In the 13 years prior to 2010, there were nearly 146 escapes from prisons – nearly ten times the number since 2010.

Prison Accommodation

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many spaces were available on the prison estate for new prisoners as of 8 September 2023.

Damian Hinds: Headline prison population and useable operational capacity figures are published weekly. These data are available for 8 September 2023 from: Prison population statistics - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

India: Myanmar

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the Prime Minister raised the provision of arms to Myanmar by Indian suppliers with Prime Minister Modi at the G20 Summit.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: Discussions between the Prime Minister and Prime Minister Modi covered the breadth and depth of the UK-India relationship, ranging from trade to cooperation on education, research and defence.Although the provision of arms to Myanmar was not discussed, we continue to raise this issue bilaterally with those who are reported to be providing arms to the Myanmar military.

Climate Change: Finance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress he has made on helping to establish the funding arrangements for responding to climate-induced loss and damage agreed at COP27.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: At COP27, the UK and other parties agreed to establish a Transitional Committee (TC) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to develop a loss and damage fund and funding arrangements by COP28. The UK is a full member of the TC and has engaged very actively to support progress through the three Committee meetings held to date. The UK is working with the TC, the UNFCCC and Parties, and with civil society, to ensure funding arrangements and the L&D fund deliver effectively for countries that are particularly vulnerable to the adverse effects of climate change, with strong recommendations taken from the final TC in October to COP28.

Niger: Military Coups

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what information his Department holds on the level of Russian influence on the coup in Niger.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK condemns in the strongest possible terms attempts to undermine democracy, peace and stability in Niger and Gabon. We have not seen evidence of Wagner involvement in recent developments in Niger. More widely, it is clear that Russian engagement in the Sahel is causing instability and is not in the interests of the people of the region.We stand firmly with the African Union and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in calling for the restoration of democracy in Niger.

Environment Protection

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the report by Global Witness entitled, Standing Firm, published on 13 September 2023, what steps his Department is taking to help to protect people who focus on protecting (a) land and (b) the environment around the world.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Human rights defenders (HRDs) and civil society organisations, including those working to protect land or the environment, are supported through the bilateral engagement of our global network of Embassies and High Commissions and, importantly, through multilateral organisations. In 2019, the Government published guidance entitled 'UK support for Human Rights Defenders' which sets out what we could and would do to support HRDs. The FCDO also monitors repression of HRDs and civil society in its annual Human Rights and Democracy Report, most recently published in July 2023.

Africa: Debts

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the joint statement by African faith leaders on 8 August 2023 on reducing debt in African countries.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government notes the statement by African Faith Leaders. We are working to ensure swift progress and effective implementation of debt treatments and are working to deliver a long-term, sustainable approach to dealing with debt restructurings through the Common Framework. The UK is leading improvements to the global debt architecture and is supporting efforts to find coordinated solutions on debt including through the Global Sovereign Debt Roundtable. During the pandemic, the UK supported the G20 Debt Service Suspension Initiative and contributed £150 million to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) Catastrophe Containment and Relief Trust to provide debt relief.

West Africa: British Nationals Abroad

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the security and safety risks on UK nationals in nations that surround Niger.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK closely monitors and regularly reviews the security risks to British nationals overseas. These risks are reflected in FCDO travel advice, which remains under constant review to ensure it reflects our latest risk assessment. There are seven countries that border Niger. The travel advice we provide for each one is tailored, and sets out the differing security contexts and risks. Some of these countries have their own security challenges, and FCDO already advises against all travel to Libya and parts of Nigeria, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Mali and Chad where these countries meet Niger's borders.

South Africa: Just Energy Transition Partnerships

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent progress he has made on helping to deliver the Just Energy Transition Partnership for South Africa.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: We are delighted to be partnering closely with South Africa on the Just Energy Transition, as the lead of the International Partners Group (IPG), to support South Africa's accelerated and inclusive transition towards a net zero and climate resilient economy.The UK and the IPG has frequent engagement with South African counterparts at the working and Ministerial level. Considerable finance has already been deployed in the form of grants and loans and the IPG continues to work closely with South African counterparts to ensure timely deployment of the remaining $8.5 billion offer. I discussed this matter on my recent visit to South Africa with Pravin Gordhan, Minister for Public Enterprise. This week, Minister Coffey will be meeting with the South African Minister for Environment, Forestry and Fisheries, Minister Creecey, at the UN General Assembly, and separately the British High Commissioner will be meeting with the South African Minister for Electricity, Minister Ramokgopa, to discuss how we can quicken the pace of implementation and address capacity challenges in the South African system ahead of COP28.

East Africa: International Assistance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much funding for (a) humanitarian and (b) development work his Department has provided for use in (i) Somalia, (ii) South Sudan, (iii) Ethiopia and (iv) Kenya in this financial year.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: On May 24, I [Minister Mitchell] announced £143 million of humanitarian support for people affected by conflict and climate change in East Africa. The funding includes £48 million for Somalia, £18.9 million for South Sudan, £42 million for Ethiopia and £5.8 million for Kenya.This is part of a wider bilateral Official Development Assistance (ODA) allocation for East Africa for 23/24 including £90 million for Somalia, £47.9 million for South Sudan, £89.2 million for Ethiopia and £24.6 million for Kenya. UK funding will provide healthcare, education, and livelihoods opportunities to millions of people across the region.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Violence

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what reports his Department has received on (a) levels of violence in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and (b) potential war crimes in that area.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK continues to monitor the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and its grave humanitarian consequences. We note the findings of the UN Group of Experts investigation into the situation in DRC. We are one of a few partners who have a permanent presence in Goma, despite the security challenges, and are regularly in touch with the Government, the UN peacekeeping mission MONUSCO and humanitarian partners where we receive first-hand accounts. We are the current chair of the International Contact Group for the Great Lakes where we work with likeminded partners to share reporting and support progress on the ground. We lobby the DRC Government to push for the imposition of sanctions, through the UN, against individuals who have committed human rights abuses, and on 19 June, announced new sanctions against perpetrators of sexual violence in conflict, sending a clear signal that the UK will hold accountable those responsible for these crimes.

Africa: Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much from the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund his Department will spend on supporting stability in African countries (a) in conflict and (b) in which conflict is deemed likely in the next year.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: Allocations for the next financial year spend of the Conflict, Security and Stability Fund (CSSF)/Integrated Security Fund (ISF) have not yet been undertaken, so it is not possible to say how much or where it will be spent. The CSSF for FY 23/24 has allocated approximately £109.4 million programme spend to the African continent from eight portfolios, two are geographic portfolios - Middle East and North Africa and Africa - and six are thematic portfolios that support stability. These are, Counter Terrorism; Cyber; Gender, Peace & Security, Migration; Serious Organised Crime and State Threats. The largest recipients are Somalia £22.1 million and Nigeria £14 million. Peacekeeping funding from CSSF across Africa in FY23/24 is £276.72 million. The FCDO does not hold a definition of which countries are 'in conflict' or 'in which conflict is deemed likely in the next year' in a format which is publicly available.

The Elders

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has held recent discussions with members of The Elders on foreign and development policy.

Leo Docherty: The Foreign Secretary has not had any recent discussions with members of The Elders. The Foreign Secretary last met with The Elders on 19 October 2022.

China: Diplomatic Service

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will take steps to review the security of (a) the accommodation and (b) other arrangements for UK diplomatic staff posted to China.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We recognise the importance of keeping security and accommodation requirements for all HMG staff deployed to China under regular review. The FCDO has established policies and processes in place to conduct regular reviews in relation to the duty of care and security of its people, assets and information in all overseas missions, including China. It also has processes in place to identify and respond to any change in the security situation. These are reviewed on a regular basis.

Commonwealth: Slavery

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has a strategy for tackling modern-day slavery in Commonwealth countries; and whether he has had discussions with representatives of the Commonwealth Secretariat on tackling modern-day slavery.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK Government continues to drive efforts to eradicate all forms of modern slavery in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 by 2030. We work closely with international partners including the UN, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, and the Commonwealth. FCDO officials regularly meet with Commonwealth Secretariat representatives and other Commonwealth partners to discuss a range of issues including modern slavery. The UK is supporting a project with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association UK to improve awareness and knowledge of modern slavery in supply chains amongst Commonwealth parliamentarians and parliamentary officials across Africa. I have frequent discussions with the Commonwealth Secretary-General on matters of mutual interest.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Policy

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, which Minister in their Department is responsible for overseeing work on long-term strategic challenges; and how many officials in their Department (a) undertake horizon scanning work and (b) focus on delivering long-term priorities.

David Rutley: The Liaison Committee recently launched an inquiry into select committee scrutiny of strategic thinking across Whitehall. The Government will be providing written evidence to this in due course.The FCDO's analytical teams, with partners across government, conduct horizon scanning to inform strategic decision making. These assessments are used in planning and resource decisions to ensure the department can maintain focus on long-term objectives. The FCDO has a range of capability development and learning to equip staff to address long-term strategic challenges.Under Rishi Sunak, this Conservative Government will always look to make the right long-term decisions for the country.

Ukraine: Cereals

Mark Logan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his Japanese counterpart on reviving the Black Sea grain initiative.

Anne-Marie Trevelyan: We are committed to ensuring Ukraine is able to export its grain. At the G20 Summit on 8-9 September, the Prime Minister engaged partners, including Japan, to ensure a unified message condemning Russia's attacks on grain infrastructure. We are working with Japan as G7 President to shape the international response.

Human Trafficking: Children

Mr Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with International partners on how best to co-ordinate action to tackle child trafficking.

Mr Andrew Mitchell: The UK continues to drive efforts to eradicate all forms of modern slavery in line with UN Sustainable Development Goal 8.7 by 2030.  We work closely with international partners, including the UN, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), and the Commonwealth, to encourage joint action on priorities including ending the worst forms of child labour and the exploitation of women and girls.We support the International Labour Organisation and UNICEF through our Asia Regional Child Labour Programme which has linked 3.6 million children at risk of the worst forms of child labour with social protection schemes.

Libya: Floods

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assistance his Department is providing to Libya following recent flooding.

David Rutley: The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office are closely monitoring and assessing the impact of Storm Daniel on Eastern Libya. On 15 September, the UK increased its support in response to both the floods in Libya and the earthquake in Morocco, allocating a package worth up to £10 million. This additional support builds upon the initial package worth up to £1 million (announced on 13 September), which is already being mobilised with a flight arriving in Benghazi on 18 September to provide vital provisions including emergency shelter items, portable solar lanterns, and water filters. An Emergency Medical Team has also deployed. In addition, the UN has announced $10 million in response to the flooding from its Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), to which the UK is one of the largest donors. The Minister of State for the Middle East, Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon, spoke with Chairman of Libya's Presidential Council Mohamed al-Mnefi on 13 September to convey his condolences and the UK's commitment to supporting Libya in the aftermath of this tragedy.

Libya: British Nationals Abroad

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many British nationals in Libya have requested consular assistance in each of the past three months.

David Rutley: The British Embassy in Tunis provides remote consular support to British Nationals in Libya. Our current case management system does not enable us to isolate open consular assistance cases from within Libya however the number of telephone inquiries logged during initial triage by our consular contact centre relating to Libya in each of the last three months was as follows:June: 10July: 13August: 13The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) advise against all travel to Libya.

Morocco: Earthquakes

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had discussions with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar on the recent earthquake in Morocco; and if he will make a statement.

David Rutley: The Foreign Secretary has not had discussions with the Chief Minister of Gibraltar regarding the recent earthquake. The British Embassy in Rabat has relayed the Government of Gibraltar's offer of support and assistance to the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates for its consideration.

Iraq: Kurds

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what representations he has made to the Iraqi government on (a) the recent deaths of Kurds in Kirkuk and (b) potential mediation by the United Nations.

Jack Lopresti: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of the role of Shia militia groups in recent disturbances in Kirkuk.

David Rutley: The UK regularly engages with leaders of Federal Iraq and the Kurdistan Region of Iraq (KRI), including during the recent visit of the Security Minister, Tom Tughendhat in August. Following the recent incident in Kirkuk the British Embassy in Iraq has met a range of Iraqi counterparts and continues to encourage cooperation between Baghdad and Erbil to resolve outstanding issues. The UK supports all efforts to ensure a secure, stable, and thriving KRI exists within a peaceful and prosperous Iraq.

Morocco: Earthquakes

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether his Department has received a request of support from the Moroccan Government following the recent earthquake in that country.

David Rutley: The Foreign Secretary has spoken to Foreign Minister Bourita and the UK remains in close contact with the Moroccan authorities. With their agreement, the UK has deployed a team of 62 search and rescue specialists and a four-person UKMED medical assessment team. We continue to liaise with Morocco, and with local and international partners, including NGOs, on how best to support Morocco's recovery efforts. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad of Wimbledon has spoken to the UN's emergency relief coordinator about coordinating humanitarian support and ensuring a sustained humanitarian response in Morocco.

Israel: Palestinians

Tahir Ali: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to strengthen efforts towards a lasting and two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine; and if he will make it his policy to formally recognise the state of Palestine.

David Rutley: The UK remains committed to making progress towards a two-state solution, resulting in a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian State; based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, with Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states. The Foreign Secretary met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, during his visit to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories this week. He discussed our strong bilateral relationship and the vital importance of de-escalating the rising tension in the West Bank. The Foreign Secretary also reiterated the UK's commitment to a two-state solution. The government will recognise Palestinian statehood at a time that best serves the interests of peace.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Local Government Pension Scheme: Climate Change

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what his Department's expected timeline is to publish its response to the consultation entitled Local Government Pension Scheme (England and Wales): Governance and reporting of climate change risks.

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what is meant by proper advice in  the Local Government Pension Scheme’s proposed responsibilities on climate risk.

Lee Rowley: The Government wrote to the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) Advisory Board on 15 June confirming the proposed requirements will not be implemented relating to the governance or disclosure of climate-related financial risks for the financial year 2023/24. The Government will respond to the consultation in due course.As set out in The Local Government Pension Scheme (Management and Investment of Funds) Regulations 2016, the term “proper advice” means the advice of a person whom the authority reasonably considers to be qualified by their ability in and practical experience of financial matters.

Local Housing Allowance

Ben Everitt: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the adequacy of Local Housing Allowance for local authorities to prevent homelessness.

Felicity Buchan: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of internal discussions are not normally disclosed.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities: Policy

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which minister in their Department is responsible for overseeing work on long term strategic challenges; and how many officials work in roles focused on horizon scanning and long term priorities.

Jacob Young: The Secretary of State is responsible for overseeing all the Department's work including on long term strategic challenges and is supported by his ministerial team and the Department.

Home Office

Rwanda: Visits Abroad

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the data on Ministerial travel for the Home Office, January to March 2023, last updated on 20 July 2023, how much was spent for her visit to Kigali, Rwanda, from 18 to 19 March 2023 on (a) flights and (b) accommodation.

Chris Philp: For the Home Secretary’s visit to Kigali, Rwanda from 18 to 19 March 2023, the following was spent:A) Flights: £3,109.71B) Accommodation: Approximately £359.72

Bibby Stockholm

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many accommodation places there are on the Bibby Stockholm barge.

Robert Jenrick: The capacity of the Bibby Stockholm remains 504. The number of asylum seekers onboard the vessel at any one time is likely to vary due to a number of factors.

Rwanda: Visits Abroad

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the data on Senior Officials' travel expenses for her Department, January to March 2023, last updated on 20th July 2023, how much of was spent on (a) flights and (b) accommodation for the logged work visit to Kigali, Rwanda starting on the 23 January 2023.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, with reference to the data on Senior Officials' travel expenses for her Department, January to March 2023, last updated on 20 July 2023, how much was spent on (a) flights and (b) accommodation for the logged work visit to Kigali, Rwanda, starting on 26 March 2023.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes transparency data for Senior Officials’ business expenses and meetings on a quarterly basis on GOV.UK:Home Office: senior officials’ business expenses and meetings - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Home Office: Policy

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps they are taking to help ensure that their Department (a) gives sufficient attention to long term strategic challenges, (b) does not allow current events to slow down work on long term strategic issues and (c) consistently undertakes horizon scanning.

Tom Tugendhat: The Liaison Committee recently launched an inquiry into select committee scrutiny of strategic thinking across Whitehall. The Government will be providing written evidence to this in due course.Under Rishi Sunak, this Conservative Government will always look to make the right long-term decisions for the country.

Undocumented Migrants: Deportation

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people without the legal right to remain in the UK have been removed in 2023.

Robert Jenrick: The Home Office publishes data on numbers of returns in the ‘Immigration System Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on returns are published in table Ret_D01 of the ‘Returns detailed datasets’. Information on how to use the dataset can be found in the ‘Notes’ page of the workbook. The latest data relates to end March 2023.Provisional data on returns up to the end of August 2023 are also published in table IMB_05 of the ‘Statistics relating to the Illegal Migration Act data tables’.Information on future Home Office statistical release dates can be found in the ‘Research and statistics calendar’.

National Crime Agency: Equality

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, how many people were employed by the National Crime Agency to work on matters relating to equality, diversity and inclusivity since 2020.

Tom Tugendhat: The NCA has a core team of 5.41 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) covering Inclusion, Diversity and Culture. Data for previous years is captured in the table below: YearFTE in post19/201.9420/215.7521/225.4122/235.41

Passports

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to reduce the average waiting time for passport renewals.

Robert Jenrick: People are receiving their passports in good time. Between January and August 2023, 99.3% of customers using the standard UK service received their passport within the published processing timeframe of ten weeks.

Department for Education

Special Educational Needs: Per Capita Costs

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the fairer funding formula for high needs block funding per pupil (a) nationally and (b) in York.

Nick Gibb: The Department introduced the high needs National Funding Formula (NFF) in 2018/19 after extensive research and consultation. The Department is keeping the formula under review to consider whether and when changes might be necessary to ensure that funding is allocated where it is needed most, and to support the implementation of reforms set out in the Special Educational Needs and Disabilities and Alternative Provision Improvement Plan published in March 2023.High needs funding allocated through the NFF will be increasing by £440 million, or 4.3%, in 2024/25. This will bring the total high needs budget to over £10.5 billion in 2024/25, an increase of over 60% from the 2019/20 allocations.The Department has recently announced provisional 2024/25 high needs allocations for Local Authorities and the City of York Council’s allocation is £27 million, which is £0.7 million more than the council will receive this year - an increase of 3% per head, and a cumulative 27% per head over the three years from 2021/22.

Apprentices

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how much from the public purse was spent in the (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23 academic year by the Education and Skills Funding Agency on apprenticeship grant payments to (i) employers and (ii) training providers that took on apprentices aged (A) 16 to 18, (B) 19 to 25 and who had an education, health and care plan provided by their local authority and (C) 19 to 25 who had been in the care of a local authority.

Robert Halfon: The government pays employers and training providers £1,000 each for taking on an apprentice who is either aged 16 to 18 years old, or aged between 19 and 24 years old and has an Education, Health and Care (EHC) Plan or has been in the care of their local authority. They can spend it on any costs associated with supporting an apprentice in the workplace. For example, on uniforms, the apprentice’s travel or their salary.The table below provides a breakdown of total spend on these payments by the department for the 2021/22 academic year to both employers and training providers, and for apprentices aged 16 to 18 years old and those aged 19 and above. The latter will include spend on apprentices who have either an EHC Plan provided by their local authority or who have been in the care of a local authority. The department does not capture whether the apprentice is a care leaver or has an EHC Plan for funding purposes.2021/22 Academic Year (£m*)   Apprenticeships additional payments for eligible young apprentices16-1819+TotalSpend on payments to employers£58£1£59Spend on payment to providers£58£1£59Total spend£117£2£118 *Figures are rounded to the nearest million.Full data for the 2022/23 academic year is not yet available, providers will submit their final returns in October 2023.The government has tripled the care leavers bursary for apprentices under the age of 25 from £1,000 to £3,000, supporting more people from all backgrounds to undertake apprenticeships. This is on top of the £1,000 available to both their employer and training provider, making a total of £5,000 additional funding available for every care leaver apprentice.

Schools: Finance

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether she plans to reform national funding formulae for primary and secondary schools.

Nick Gibb: This Government is committed to providing a world class education system for all children and has invested significantly in education to achieve that.The national funding formula (NFF) continues to distribute funding fairly, based on the needs of schools and their pupil cohorts. The purpose of the NFF is not to give every school the same level of per pupil funding. It is right that schools with more pupils with additional needs receive extra funding to help them meet the needs of all their pupils.The NFF targets funding to schools which have the greatest numbers of pupils with additional needs. In 2023/24, the Department has targeted a greater proportion of schools NFF funding towards deprived pupils than ever before. 9.8% (over £4 billion) of the formula has been allocated according to deprivation in 2023/24. This will help schools in their vital work to close attainment gaps, and level up educational opportunities.The NFF is reviewed and updated on an annual basis. In the future we will continue to fund schools through the NFF in a fair and transparent manner, on a consistent assessment of need based on pupil numbers and characteristics.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage: Scotland

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, with reference to the oral evidence of the Minister for Energy and Climate to the Scottish Affairs Committee's inquiry into Hydrogen and carbon capture in Scotland, HC 83 Q258, on 16 January 2023, across which financial years the £40 million of Government expenditure on the Scottish cluster for carbon capture utilisation and storage was allocated; and how much funding was provided in each of those financial years.

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how much the Government has allocated to the carbon capture utilisation and storage Scottish cluster in each financial year since 2017-18.

Graham Stuart: This information is being gathered. As soon as it is available, the information will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, when he expects the Ofgem Code of Practice for the involuntary installation of pre-payment meters to become mandatory.

Amanda Solloway: On 13 September Ofgem published its decision on new rules for suppliers in relation to involuntary prepayment meter installations. These rules will be implemented into supplier licence conditions on 8 November and therefore become mandatory. The Code of Practice that all suppliers have agreed to remain in place in the meantime.

Energy: Meters

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, whether he plans to ask Ofgem for each energy supply company how many (a) fines are issued and (b) enforcement actions taken as a result of breaches to the Code of Practice for the involuntary installation of pre-payment meters once it becomes mandatory.

Amanda Solloway: On 13 September Ofgem published its decision on new rules for suppliers in relation to involuntary prepayment meter installations. These rules will be implemented into supplier licence conditions on 8 November and therefore become mandatory. The Code of Practice that all suppliers have agreed to remains in place in the meantime. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will continue to monitor the behaviour of suppliers and regulators going forwards and won't hesitate to intervene if necessary.

Department of Health and Social Care

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when he he plans to respond to the correspondence from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare of 30 June and 7 August 2023 on health care for older people.

Helen Whately: I replied to the hon. Member on 19 September 2023.

Health: Disadvantaged

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help tackle health inequalities.

Neil O'Brien: The Government is committed to its levelling up mission to narrow the gap in Healthy Life Expectancy by 2030 and increase Healthy Life Expectancy by five years by 2035.  Our approach will continue to focus on supporting people to live healthier lives, helping the National Health Service and social care to provide the best treatment and care for patients and tackling health disparities through national and system interventions such as the NHS’s Core20PLUS5 programme.On 24 January 2023, we announced our plan to publish the Major Conditions Strategy. This strategy will explore how we can tackle the key drivers of ill-health in England to improve healthy life expectancy, as well as reduce pressure on the NHS and reduce ill-health related labour market inactivity. The strategy will focus on six major groups of conditions, namely cancers, mental health, cardiovascular disease (including stroke and diabetes), dementia, chronic respiratory diseases, and musculoskeletal disorders, that account for approximately 60% of ill-health and early death in England.We have published our initial report ‘Major Conditions Strategy: Case for change and our strategic framework’ which identifies the importance of tackling inequalities to improve health outcomes, and is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/major-conditions-strategy-case-for-change-and-our-strategic-framework/major-conditions-strategy-case-for-change-and-our-strategic-framework--2Our intention is to publish the Major Conditions Strategy in early 2024.

Dental Health: Children

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on the number of supervised toothbrushing programmes that are operating in each local authority; and if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of those programmes on the oral health of children.

Neil O'Brien: The information requested is not held centrally. In England, local authorities are responsible for improving the oral health of their local populations, and some local authorities have supervised toothbrushing programmes in place. The Office for Health Improvement and Disparities has published guidance to help local authorities who are interested in schemes to support commissioning of supervised tooth brushing programmes in early years settings and schools. The guidance is available at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/improving-oral-health-supervised-tooth-brushing-programme-toolkit

Primary Health Care

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve patient access to primary care in (a) Liverpool, Walton and (b) England.

Neil O'Brien: We recognise that despite the hard work of general practice (GP) teams, some patients are still struggling to access care in a timely way. That is why we have published our Delivery Plan for Recovering Access to Primary Care. The plan has two central ambitions to improve access, both nationwide and in Walton, Liverpool: firstly, to tackle the 8am rush and reduce the number of people struggling to contact their practice; and secondly, for patients to know on the day they contact their practice how their request will be managed.We will achieve this by modernising telephone systems which can help practices to better match their capacity to patient demand, backed by £240 million in retargeted funding. All practices have now signed up to transition to new digital systems. The plan will empower patients to do more themselves, cutting bureaucracy for GPs and building capacity to deliver more appointments. We are investing at least £1.5 billion to create an additional 50 million GP appointments by 2024 by increasing and diversifying the workforce.

Healthy Start Scheme: Greater London

Feryal Clark: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the percentage uptake of Healthy Start Scheme vouchers is as of 12 September 2023 in (a) Enfield North constituency, (b) the London Borough of Enfield and (c) London.

Neil O'Brien: The NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) operates the Healthy Start scheme on behalf of the Department. Monthly uptake figures for the Healthy Start scheme are available at the following link:https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/healthcare-professionals/The latest uptake figures were published on 31 August 2023. In August 2023, uptake for the London Borough of Enfield was 58% and uptake for London was 60%. Constituency level uptake data is not held by NHSBSA.

Suicide

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the Research briefing by the House of Commons Library, Suicide statistics, published on 2 December 2022, whether his Department has made a comparative assessment of the reasons for the trends in level of suicide rates (a) decreasing between 1982 to 2007 and (b) increasing since 2007.

Maria Caulfield: The Department has made no such formal assessment. The factors that lead a person to take their own life are very often complex and we continue to work with our National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group, including academics, to identify and share information and learning about existing and emerging suicide risk factors.

Sodium Valproate: Compensation

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with the Patient Safety Commissioner on a timetable for compensation for people harmed by sodium valporate.

Maria Caulfield: The Government has asked the Patient Safety Commissioner, Dr Henrietta Hughes, to undertake work looking at redress for people harmed by sodium valproate. The work is intended to focus on the views of those affected, improving the understanding of how many people have been affected and how, the case for redress and what form it could take.The Patient Safety Commissioner is expected to publish a report of her current work examining options for redress for those harmed by sodium valproate and pelvic mesh in early 2024. Ministers will consider the report’s findings before deciding how to proceed on this matter.

Infectious Diseases: Surveillance

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will take steps to support ProMED-mail.

Maria Caulfield: The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has an epidemic intelligence service which uses data from multiple sources. The agency does not currently have plans to engage specifically with the Program for Monitoring Emerging Diseases (ProMED) but is following developments closely and will consider opportunities for collaboration.UKHSA’s Emerging Infections and Zoonoses (EIZ) team gathers information on incidents and outbreaks of infectious diseases via their Epidemic Intelligence process on behalf of the Government. This process predominantly uses information collected using the World Health Organization’s Epidemic Intelligence from Open Sources platform. In addition, the EIZ team scan additional sources which include the International Society for Infectious Diseases’ ProMED programme.

Mental Health Services

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve access to mental health services in (a) Liverpool, Walton constituency and (b) England.

Maria Caulfield: We remain committed to the aims of the NHS Long Term Plan, investing at least £2.3 billion of extra funding a year in expanding and transforming mental health services in England, including in Liverpool, Walton constituency.This extra funding will enable an extra two million people to be treated by mental health services within the National Health Service by March 2024.

Sodium Valproate: Safety

Sir Gavin Williamson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to raise awareness among (a) healthcare professionals and (b) patients of the safe (i) prescription and (ii) use of sodium valproate.

Maria Caulfield: Information to support the safe use of medicines such as valproate is provided in the product information which consists of the summary of product characteristics for healthcare professionals and the patient information leaflet that is supplied with each pack of medicines. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has issued many communications in its Drug Safety Update bulletin informing and raising awareness among healthcare professionals about safety concerns associated with valproate, particularly the risks associated with use of valproate during pregnancy.Preparations are underway to introduce new measures to ensure all healthcare professionals and patients are aware of the reproductive risks associated with valproate which will be supported by a comprehensive information once the details are finalised.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Vehicles

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, whether his Department has estimated the cost of the London Ultra Low Emission Zone expansion on the movement of non-compliant military vehicles across London.

James Cartlidge: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and Transport for London (TfL) operate a selected partner scheme whereby notified MOD owned or leased vehicles are exempt from the London Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) and Greater London Low Emission Zone (LEZ) charges; exemptions prevent the disruption of operational activity. For Units located in Greater London and the periphery, the relationship and contact between parties is strong and TfL operate a pragmatic approach to exemption applications ahead of any movement of military vehicles.The Department takes seriously its sustainability commitment and wherever possible strives to support initiatives such as TfL's air quality improvement plans by considering the necessity of the movement and ensuring that, where MOD vehicles are supplemented by leased vehicles, they are fully compliant with wider Government intent.

Defence: Technology

Mr Jonathan Lord: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to support innovation in defence technologies.

James Cartlidge: The most recent Defence Command Paper highlighted the importance of science, innovation and technology in securing strategic advantage for our Armed Forces. Defence is investing over £6.6 billion in advanced Research and Development, working closely with UK industry and academia, including Small and Medium Sized Enterprises (SMEs), to identify and invest in innovative technologies, ensuring we have the capabilities we need to address our most pressing threats.

Nuclear Powered Vessels

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's projected spending on nuclear powered surface vessels for the Royal Navy is in the (a) 2023-24, (b) 2024-25 and (c) 2025-26 financial year; and if he will make a statement.

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's timeline is for converting the remaining diesel-powered Royal Navy surface fleet to nuclear power.

James Cartlidge: The Royal Navy has never had any surface vessels that are nuclear powered and there is no programme or intention to convert the current fleet to be nuclear powered in future.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

National Trust: Grants

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what information her Department holds on how much funding the National Trust received through competitive grant schemes administered by her Department and its arm's-length bodies in financial years (a) 2019-20, (b) 2020-21, (c) 2021-22, (d) 2022-23 and (e) 2023-24.

Sir John Whittingdale: Historic England, National Heritage Memorial Fund and Heritage Lottery Fund funded National Trust through the following competitive exchequer and lottery funded grants across the period requested:FY 19/20 – £4,205,285 across three schemesFY 20/21 - £10,978,779 across seven schemesFY 21/22 - £6,873,014 across seven schemesFY 22/23 – £1,142,516 across two schemesFY 23/24 - £505,186 across three schemes (Note this is YTD and does not include schemes that may come into the pipeline before FY close).FY’s 20-22 show an increase in funding schemes due to specialist COVID 19 interventions.No direct funding was made by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport Core.

Film: North of England

Mike Kane: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, how many producers who have secured BFI Film Hub North short film funding in the last five years have been supported by the BFI with (a) development and (b) production funding for a feature film; where each of those producers was based in the North of England; and how many of the directors of those films were based in the North of England.

Sir John Whittingdale: The Short Film Fund is delivered centrally by the BFI, rather than through its five regional hubs, including Film Hub North. The Short Film Fund supports projects with directors based in England and is run in partnership with BFI NETWORK Talent Executives, who work with filmmakers on the delivery of funded projects. Regional hubs make recommendations to the BFI on which projects should receive support.Film Hub North supports regional producers in a variety of other ways. This includes the Creative Producer Lab in partnership with Film Hub Midlands, which has supported over 50 producers since 2019, including 34 based in the North of England.Through a range of measures, Film Hub North has helped to support 73 short film production awards over the period FY 2018/19 - FY 2022/23. The BFI has identified at least nine producers who were supported by Film Hub North and received funding from the BFI NETWORK Short Film Fund, who then applied for and received further support via either the BFI National Lottery development and/or production funds for a feature film. This includes producers based across the North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humberside. However, this does not capture the full range of benefits available to producers in the North through the BFI NETWORK. Additionally, Short Film Fund funding recommendations are made based on the location of the director, not the producer, so Northern producers may receive support through other regional hubs.Moreover, with regards to the BFI supporting producers to transition from short films to feature films: where producers choose to take this step, it can often take longer than five years, for a variety of reasons, with many filmmakers needing more than one funded short film before they gain production funding for a feature film.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology

Broadband: Care Homes

Duncan Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, if she will have discussions with Cabinet colleagues on the potential merits of supporting care homes that are transitioning to ultra-fast fibre broadband and facing potentially expensive (a) subscriptions and (b) hardware purchases.

Sir John Whittingdale: Fast, reliable broadband is key for all establishments, including care homes. The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology has launched a series of interventions to accelerate the speed of rollout of gigabit-capable broadband. We are also investing £5bn through Project Gigabit to provide improved connectivity for the hardest to reach parts of the UK. The Department of Health and Social Care is undertaking work this autumn to understand challenges care homes may be facing in improving their connectivity, and what future support might be necessary. DSIT and DHSC are in frequent communication about the merits of improved digital connectivity.

Telecommunications: Rural Areas

Duncan Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of maintaining a connection to (a) copper wires and (b) a suitable alternative in rural communities to allow residents to make emergency calls, what assessment she has made on the need to maintain a connection to either copper wires or a suitable alternative in rural communities during the installation of fibre cables to allow residents to still make emergency calls if required.

Sir John Whittingdale: The PSTN is a privately-owned telecoms network and the decision to upgrade it has been taken by the telecoms industry. The industry’s decision to upgrade the PSTN is due to necessity, as the network is increasingly unreliable and prone to failure. Ofcom, the independent telecoms regulator, has mandated guidance on backup solutions, including how telecoms companies can fulfil their regulatory obligation to ensure that their VoIP customers have uninterrupted access to the emergency services. The guidance was issued following a consultation with the general public as well as telecoms providers and Ofgem.

Artificial Intelligence: Arts

Kevin Brennan: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, whether she plans to invite representatives from creative industries to the London AI Summit.

Paul Scully: The UK believes that the dangers of frontier AI risks are increasingly urgent. This includes risks such as biosecurity and cybersecurity, including from the potential misuse of models by non-state actors. This will be the focus of the AI Safety Summit and the invitee list will reflect this theme. The Government is working on wider AI-related risks including those associated with the creative industries through the Creative Industries Sector Vision and via work with the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) to get the balance right in supporting Government’s ambitions on AI innovation without critically undermining value for rights holders. The government set out its ambitions for the Summit in greater detail at the start of September, and we look forward to sharing more details in due course.

Department for Science, Innovation and Technology: Policy

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, which Minister in their Department is responsible for overseeing work on long-term strategic challenges; and how many officials in their Department (a) undertake horizon scanning work and (b) focus on delivering long-term priorities.

George Freeman: All DSIT Ministers are responsible for overseeing work on long-term strategic challenges within their portfolio. The Secretary of State is ultimately accountable for long-term strategic challenges for the entire Department. DSIT’s work is underpinned by long-term strategies, most notably the Science and Technology Framework, which sets out the ten key actions we will take to deliver our Science and Technology Superpower agenda by 2030. Investment in Science and Technology is an inherently long-term endeavour and DSIT is focused on delivering long- term benefits. The Liaison Committee recently launched an inquiry into select committee scrutiny of strategic thinking across Whitehall. The Government will be providing written evidence to this in due course.

Spain: Visits Abroad

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology, with reference to the data on Senior Officials' travel expenses for her Department, January to March 2023, last updated on 25 July 2023, how much of the £684 cost for the visit by the Director for Digital Infrastructure to Barcelona starting on 26 February was on (a) flights and (b) accommodation.

George Freeman: On this visit, the Director of Digital Infrastructure’s expenses on flights were £218.44 and accommodation £211.09.

Treasury

Buildings: Fire Prevention

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make an estimate of the total income his Department expects to receive from VAT payable on (a) cladding and (b) other building safety remediation projects carried out between June 2017 to June 2023.

Victoria Atkins: The Government does not hold information on the amount of revenue raised through VAT paid on cladding and other building safety remediation projects carried out between June 2017 and June 2023. This is because this type of work is likely to be completed by businesses that undertake a variety of construction-related projects, and HMRC do not require businesses to provide a breakdown on their VAT returns of exactly what projects the VAT was charged on.

Taxation

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2023 to Question 196959 on High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge, if he will list all tax charges that his Department has reviewed since January 2013.

Victoria Atkins: The Government keeps all taxes under review unless otherwise stated. Since 9 December 2010, HMRC have published Tax Information and Impact Notes (TIINs) alongside tax legislation. A full list of TIINs can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-information-and-impact-notes-tiins. The Government also publishes a list of open and closed tax consultations since 2020. This list can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/tax-policy-consultations#closed-consultations-. Finally, a list of completed and ongoing HMRC research can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/search/research-and-statistics?parent=hm-revenue-customs&content_store_document_type=research&organisations%5B%5D=hm-revenue-customs&order=updated-newest.

Shipping: Minimum Wage

Grahame Morris: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, with reference to the press statement issued by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, published on 30 March 2022, if he will list the targeted enforcement activities that HMRC NMW Enforcement have carried out for seafarers employed in the (a) ferries and (b) wider shipping industry as of 15 September 2023; and what the outcomes of those investigations were.

Victoria Atkins: HMRC enforces the UK NMW and national living wage in line with the legislative framework owned by the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). HMRC don’t hesitate to use their powers if they suspect a business isn’t paying their workers at least the correct rate of National Minimum Wage. HMRC deploy resource across all sectors proportionate to the level of risk. Since the UK NMW changes for the maritime sector in October 2020, HMRC have worked with the domestic maritime sector and unions to ensure obligations and worker rights are understood and are being complied with. HMRC wrote to employers in the Maritime sector asking them to check that they are paying all their workers the correct minimum wage. HMRC have produced multi-lingual leaflets for seafarers regarding their entitlement and routes of redress and these have been distributed via the RMT and Nautilus International unions. HMRC also provided an article on seafarer minimum wage entitlement published on Nautilus International website encouraging seafarers to make a complaint if they are not receiving National Minimum Wage. Anyone who thinks they are not being paid what they are entitled to can complain online at https://www.gov.uk/minimum-wage-complaint or can contact ACAS, on 0300 123 1100. HMRC won’t tell an employer who complained without the person’s consent.

High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the Answer of 6 September 2023 to Question 196959 on High Income Child Benefit Tax Charge, if he will undertake a review of the income thresholds for the payment of the High Income Child Benefit Charge.

Victoria Atkins: The Government is committed to managing the public finances in a disciplined and responsible way. The Adjusted Net Income threshold of £50,000 for the High Income Child Benefit Charge (HICBC) means that the Government continues to support the majority of Child Benefit claimants, whilst ensuring that the fiscal position remains sustainable. The Government therefore considers that the current threshold remains appropriate.

Revenue and Customs: Equality

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many people were employed by HM Revenue and Customs to work on matters relating to equality, diversity and inclusivity since 2020.

Victoria Atkins: Information relating to HMRC’s staffing levels is published each year in its Annual Report and Account. A link to the latest reports is available below: Annual reports and accounts published by HMRC - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Department for Business and Trade

Automotive Transformation Fund

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much funding from the Automotive Transformation Fund (a) has been spent and (b) has been allocated for the spending review period to March 2025.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: In 2020, £500m of Automotive Transformation Fund (ATF) funding was announced in the Ten Point Plan. The 2021 Net Zero Strategy announced a further £350m funding for the ATF between 2022/23-2024/25. £136m of this budget, for financial year 2022-23, was later reprioritised by BEIS (predecessor department) for investment in Sizewell C As of September 2023, the total value of offers made under the ATF is over £550 million. In addition, we are in active discussions with investors on a wide range of exciting new projects for the UK's electric vehicle supply chain.

Automotive Transformation Fund

Wera Hobhouse: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, how much funding from the Automotive Transformation Fund she plans to allocate to (a) existing legacy car and van manufacturers and (b) new entrants to the market.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: The Automotive Transformation Fund offers funding for capital and associated industrial research projects that support the industrialisation of a high value, electrified automotive supply at scale in the UK. We continue to work with industry to unlock private investment in our EV supply chain via the ATF. This includes unlocking strategic investments in gigafactories, motors and drives, power electronics, and fuel cell systems.

Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-pacific Partnership

Richard Thomson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, with reference to the oral answer given by the Minister of State for Business and Trade of Tuesday 18 July 2023, Official Report, column 779, what the evidential basis is for the estimate that that in the long run at least £2 billion a year will be added to the economy as a result of membership of the Comprehensive and Progressive agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

Nigel Huddleston: The analysis brings together robust evidence from across Government using a range of data and analytical tools including data on historic sectoral trading patterns, future trends from the Global Trade Outlook and factors in economy wide impacts to estimate the potential impacts. The methodology underlying our analysis is also published in full. This impact assessment has been independently scrutinised by the Regulatory Policy Committee, an independent body.

Department for Work and Pensions

Disability

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities report entitled Inquiry concerning the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland carried out by the Committee under article 6 of the Optional Protocol to the Convention, published in 2016, what steps his Department have taken to respond to that reports findings.

Tom Pursglove: This Government is committed to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and to improving the lives of disabled people. Our latest response to the UN Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was submitted in 2022, and published on GOV.UK with accessible formats in December 2022. This report and previous ones can be found here (Link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/disabled-peoples-rights-uk-2022-follow-up-report-to-uncrpd-2016-inquiry (opens in a new tab)). UK Government representatives will provide further information on the UK’s progress, as agreed by the Committee, at a hearing at the Committee’s session in March 2024.

Cabinet Office

Conflict, Stability and Security Fund

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much funding his Department has requested from the Exchequer for next year’s Conflict, Security and Stability Fund allocation.

Alex Burghart: As announced in March, the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) fund will be replaced by a new UK Integrated Security Fund (UKISF) from 2024/25. The new Fund will support the implementation of key Integrated Review Refresh (IRR) objectives, funding projects both at home and overseas to tackle some of the most complex national security challenges facing the UK and its partners. As part of this approach, funding will be raised to almost £1 billion in 2024/25.

Crimes of Violence: Greater London

Sir David Evennett: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how many recorded incidents of violent crime there have been in (a) Bexleyheath and Crayford constituency, (b) Bexley Borough and (c) South East London in each of the last five years.

Jeremy Quin: The information requested falls under the remit of the UK Statistics Authority. A response to the Hon gentleman’s Parliamentary Question of 13 September is attached.UK Statistics Authority (pdf, 131.2KB)

Department for Transport

Railway Stations

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 11 September 2023 to Question 196081 on Railway Stations, if he will publish a redacted copy of the mandate given to the train operating companies.

Huw Merriman: There are no plans to publish any such correspondence.

Railways: Ticket Offices

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to his Answer of 11 September to Question 196079 on Railway Stations: Tickets, if he will publish the Memorandum of Understanding for Modernising Retail between his Department and the Rail Delivery Group dated 29 July 2020.

Huw Merriman: There are no plans to publish any such correspondence.

Railways: Compensation

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps his Department has taken to encourage train operators to provide automatic delay repay compensation.

Huw Merriman: As set out in the Plan for Rail, the Department is working with the train operating companies (TOCs) to ensure they make the process of claiming compensation easier. Ten out of 14 Department contracted TOCs now offer automated delay repay compensation and a standardised compensation form has been introduced.

Railways: Coronavirus

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of (a) reducing funding to rail operators that run fewer services since the covid-19 pandemic and (b) compensating commuters affected by reduced services on the rail industry.

Huw Merriman: The contracts we have in place with operators automatically reflect the nature and volume of services they run in the funding they are provided.

Railways: Coronavirus

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of reductions in rail services following the covid-19 pandemic on (a) workforces and (b) inner city economies.

Huw Merriman: The industry continues to adjust service levels as passenger demand patterns evolve following the pandemic. Nationally passenger journeys are at around 80 per cent of 2019 levels whilst train operators are providing around 90 per cent of the services they operated in 2019. We continue to work closely with operators and Network Rail to ensure that service levels remain appropriate to expected demand and deliver good value for the taxpayer.

Northern Ireland Office

Private Rented Housing: Northern Ireland

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, what discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the impact of the level of private rental costs on renters in Northern Ireland.

Mr Steve Baker: Housing is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. In the absence of a Northern Ireland Executive and Ministers, it is for the Department for Communities to provide help and advice for private rented tenants in Northern Ireland.